BARRINGTON, R.I. — A man who said he couldn’t afford veterinary care for his dog has been charged with illegally operating on the pet.
Alan MacQuattie recently removed a cyst from the leg of his 14-year-old Labrador mix. The dog was operated on again by professionals to deal with an infection from the first surgery.
MacQuattie, 63, who said he is disabled and living on Social Security, said Friday he used local anesthetic to remove the cyst since he doesn’t have money for a veterinarian.
“In the economy as it is right now, … who in the hell is going to give you a little extra helping hand?” he said.
E.J. Finocchio, a veterinarian and president of the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, called the surgery a “heinous crime.”
MacQuattie pleaded no contest last week to misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty and unauthorized practice of veterinary medicine.
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